US pop superstar Taylor Swift has shattered several UK chart records following the release of her 12th studio album, The Life Of A Showgirl. The Official Charts Company reported that the album achieved 423,000 combined chart units in its opening week, marking the biggest debut of her career. It is the fastest-selling album in the UK since Ed Sheeran’s Divide in 2017 and the biggest opening for an international album in the UK this century.
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At 35, Swift now has 14 UK number-one albums, surpassing Elvis Presley as the international artist with the most chart-topping albums in the country. She is now level with The Rolling Stones, who also have 14 number ones. Since 2012, she has averaged more than one chart-topping album per year, taking just under 13 years to reach her 14th number one — the fastest time for any artist, according to the Official Charts Company. Only The Beatles and Robbie Williams have achieved more, each with 15 number-one albums.
The Life Of A Showgirl has also become the fastest-selling vinyl album in the UK this century and recorded the most UK album streams in a single week. Swift dominated the singles chart as well, occupying the top three positions. The Fate Of Ophelia debuted at number one with 132,000 chart units, marking her biggest first week for any song. Its music video presents Swift as a series of iconic characters, including a Marilyn Monroe-style starlet and the Ophelia from John Everett Millais’ painting.
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Her other tracks, Opalite and Elizabeth Taylor, entered at number two and three respectively, with fans speculating personal references to her fiancé, NFL star Travis Kelce. This album is Swift’s third UK number-one record of 2025, following Lover (Live From Paris) and The Tortured Poets Department. Martin Talbot, chief executive of the Official Charts, described the week as “extraordinary”, saying Swift “shows absolutely no sign of letting up” and is “bigger than she has ever been in the UK.”
